Xxx

What a lovely sentiment, tears in my eyes, RIP Carla xxxx

Got home today to a strange-looking envelope, Its not my birthday and its too early for Christmas ,I should have really made the connection because I have always had Cards from my vets after my dogs have passed over, but this one was beyond amazing, it contained a separate Card with Carla's paw print on it and the words "When tomorrow starts without me, Don't think we're far apart, for every time you think of me , I'm right here, inside your heart", on that note this will be my last post on Carla's page, love you Mummy xx

I am so sorry to hear that your girl has gained her wings, I remember doing your home visit, like it was yesterday. She had a wonderful life with you. Fly free sweetheart. Jill. Xxx

So very sorry to hear about Carla. Sending love and hugs to you and Carrie. Run free, Carla. Xx

So very sorry Jeff that you had to say goodbye to your beautiful girl. She’ll always be in your heart.
Run free Carla, with all our old friends xx

Sending love. Xxx

Sending biggest thought hugs to you Jeff & Carrie. Run free gorgeous black beauty Carla xxxx

I just can't stop looking at Carlas Racing name "Can do no more" she just had so much love to give and gave it right up until the moment I had to give it back in the most difficult way ,she has been and will always be the most loving affectionate sociable Girl I've ever known and was true to herself and her personality right up until the end , it helps me to write like this, about her, simply because thats who she was, the most loving and affectionate polite girl with an excited skip, jump and twist when I came home , I am so proud to have been part of her life ...

So very sorry to hear that you have lost your darling girl, RIP Carla sweet Angel, thinking of you all xxxxxx

So very, very sad to read this. Thinking of you Jeff and Carrie. Carla, run fast, run free at the Bridge with all that have gone before. Xxxx

Jeff, so very sad to receive your call to say your lovely Carla has gone to Rainbow Bridge. Thinking of you and Carrie and sending lots of love. There is a beautiful new Angel looking over you both. Kate Xxx

It was just a day like today and today was the right time for you, Mummy

We both love you

Jeffrey and Carrie xxx

Prayers xxxx

Sending lots of love to you all, Kate Xxx

I am so very sorry to hear that your darling girl is unwell, I'm sure she knows how much you love her and that you are doing everything you can to help her, be strong, you are both in my thoughts xxxxxxx

Thanks, Kate for being so lovely (as ever) on the phone yesterday, I thought I would post something on here as so many of you have been so supportive over the years, but after an almost 2-hour vets appointment yesterday, Carla has quiet advanced Heart Disease , she is now on Meds and seems to have responded a little as she has today eaten the most she has since she went off food on Friday , I know its going to be difficult to "like" my comment but I felt since so many people have been supportive that it is my duty to let you all know and say thanks for all of your support over the years, Carla was true to herself through yesterday and was loving all the girls at the vets , I wasn't sure to start with what they meant when they all said "Oh please leave her here" , but , well ,she was heartbreakingly Sociable as she always is

Today was special made me realise that I really do know my girls

Carrie is so uninterested in everything and everyone apart from what Carrie is interested in (and so like me)and...

Carla just loves everyone in the world , whilst my little Star Carrie is who she is , she very much like me just faded into the background today and let Mummy take the limelight , Ill never ever forget what Ive seen today at a big event , Mummy loves everyone she is so beyond special to see her today preferring humans to greyhounds( that was until she realised there were actually greyhounds around) was just special all the other greyhounds were just running and Mummy was saying hello to the photographer before she joined in and went crazy

Dad took us to the sighthound playgroup today I was meant to be in the nervous group but Carrie went in that one instead , I went into the full on "lets go crazy and let our hair down " group

So after I had done a poo in the barn and then made friends with the young lady photographer , I did just that , let my hair down and went Crazy , I hope she got some good pics of me 'cause I looked the business , I did my hair and everything before we went

Ive still got it in me to be best at running , in fact it never went away

Loads of love to everyone

Carla x

"The more I see of man the more I love my Greyhound"

We've had a finger full of coconut ice cream today that Daddy made , I've noticed that since he's not out of the house so much and making some of our food himself with veg rice carrots peas sardines pilchards and chicken as well as the Burns pork and Potato that my hair is looking shiney and Im sure both me and Carrie have grown hair on our back legs too . Im just going to jump back on the bed and pretend Im sleeping and that I didn't post anything on here , i know he loves us both but not sure how he would feel if he knew I could use his computer .. but its great ton have him at home more , I love him so much

Carla x

Sighthound playday Sunday 25th June at Tipton Hall Riding Centre near bromyard details on the forever hounds website , We're going Im so excited, Jeff booked it earlier today and said he has a surprise for us both don't tell him I've been on his computer ....Love to everyone from Carla xxxx

If you could move over just a little bit for me to get in my bed please that would be great thanks , you can lie under the quilt so long as you don't kick me in the face to show me you're happy xx

Since I posted on Caries page earlier , I can't stop myself doing a post on Mummy's page , Carla is just exceptional she just loves everything and everyone ,( Carrie is a bit more selective about who she wags her tail at ) yet another house on the lane where I live is having some building work done and one of the builders has a black labrador girl and Mummy has fallen in love with her ,she even looks for her when there aren't any builders there , which is kind of cute but also kind of upsetting , but I think she has taken Carrie on as her puppy and to see them both cuddle together is just the eighth wonder of the world.

Just in that nice calm moment before bed Carrie is on the quilts on the floor and Carla is on what I think was once my bed and being the obsessive type of person I am , Ive just read back on her history again on here and just thought I say Im am totally NOT ashamed to admit that I was pretending that the cuddly Bunny Wabiit that I brought her for christmas was another puppy for her , she's so gentle and loving , Ive recently brought her a pink blizzard coat and both my girls now have hats (Carlas is Pink and Carrie to suit her personality has a Rasta hat ) and the Hats have become quite popular with the people we meet .

My house is one huge kennel , littered with bones and toys and its never felt more like a home...

Happy New Year

so just let Carla and Carrie out for a wee and when they came back inside ,Carla just stood by where I was sitting for a while and for a moment I realised that whilst I love having greyhounds around , Im almost not rehoming them for me , rather for them, it makes me happy to see my girls happy

Carla was a bit strange when I got home last night , didn't eat all her dinner and wouldn't go outside and In an instant I knew what was wrong , same thing as last year , FIREWORKS , come on its getting ridiculous now fireworks on Halloween ?? , So Ive started on climatising the dogs to loud noises again, Carrie dosen't show any emotion about anything apart from food , which is why I love her so much as she's just like me , but Mummy can still be so nervous sometimes but Im happy to say after an afternoon of listening to the loudest bangs and firework shows I can find on youtube , Mummy is just sleeping , it seemed to work last year as you may remember my neighbour left me a note saying they were both out in the garden during a fireworks show , I think she just needs to get used to a loud bangs again at the moment and know everything is OK by me not making a fuss and just sitting there quietly and leaving her be.

Carla is a Star , that picture in the 40th edition Grapevine is definitely worth a donation from my Christmas Bonus on 27th November , Carla and Carrie got really excited when I was getting excited and opening the envelope, for 2 seconds then they went back to bed when they realised it wasn't food , Had a great walk with them both last week , we just walked into a field , sat down , they had treats and water , I had gluten free jaffa cakes and some water and watched some cows , how simple but great.

Hi Jeff and your lovely girls sound like you are having a brilliant time and social contact beyond exception.
Love to you and your lovely girls from The New Icemaid Clan xxxx
Kiss all round from me and my four girls.

Now for the second night running Ive taken the girls on a walk round bromyard town and it was fantastic , the days are so long at the moment and we need something to fill in the time , they loved meeting people outside the pubs probably the best walk we've ever had , the countryside walks are good but these two ladies love meeting people and I absolutely love seeing them interacting with other people its amazing

So elegant and gentle , i just got on the floor to Kiss Carla goodnight and she Burped in my face and wagged her tail , just the tip of her tail , as she always does , so very ladylike.

Hi Jeff, that was a scary moment for you! So pleased to hear Carla and Carrie both came back to you. Xxx

Woah , that was a bit hair raising I was out talking to my neighbours and for my dogs to get out they have to get through 2 doors both front and back and then through 2 lots of gardens or fence panels or 3 gates , so when everything's locked up its ok ,but if those gates are open, its a doddle for them to get out and I live on the A44 and by chance as my neighbour is doing my front garden for me all three gates were open and both Carla and Carrie got out and guess what they both just ran to my Car and out on their normal walk route up the lane next to my house and came back when called ...

scary but in a way comforting to know that they come back to me , I did mention when Teddy died that its important to teach your dog recall ...

Good Girls .... they've just had loads of treats when they got back inside and are both zonked out on the bed after thier adventure..... I would prefer to get my adrenaline in other ways though.

Jeff lovely to hear how you and the girls are doing and your lovely thoughts. Love to you all from The New Icemaid Clan xxxxx

Hi Jeff, great to hear you, Carla and Carrie are all well and happy. :)) Kate Xxx

Haven't posted anything in a while so I thought Id just do a quick one , Carla and Carrie are looking great , I've just brushed them both outside and Carla aka Mummy just wanted to lay on the concrete in the sun , so I think Im going to have to buy her an outside quilt/bed as she loves her independent "me" time and I don't like her lying on concrete .

My house is littered with toys and bones ,

But you know the best thing is how the girls have turned my house into a real home ,they are both so untidy but I actually love it

Hi Jeff, it would be lovely to see you and the girls...hope you get chance to come over to the kennels soon. Xxx

Just given them both a shower , they have shiny coats but a bit dandruffy , and just dried off in the sun , they look lovely and better without their collars and now they are just both finishing the drying process on my bed so damp sheets for me !!

Hi Jeff, a long time no hear how your girls are. But love to the girls and you. The New Icemaid Clan xxxxxxxx

How uneventful , I realised this morning Carla has never met the Chickens so we went down the garden to see them and even took Emily out of the run and showed her and she just sniffed her . Hopefully going to try to come over to daybreaks in a few weeks to say hello

Well ,Dunno if I'm convinced that my fireworks training helped or not , but Ive had one week of no damage whatsoever , and this was the time of year I was dreading but "Mummy" aka Carla has been very peaceful and a good this week ...

Well , the start of getting the heating in this week has been a nightmare from start to ...still not finished . the Girls have coped tremendously well and had to be shut in my bedroom most of the week as internal work has been in all of the house ,although I have been here so they've not been alone ,

its been a very stressful week for all of us , they are actually much Calmer being left in one room , no wees or anything in an 8 hour day

so without the noise and distractions from the major work outside and inside ( and trust me its been a massively colossal , A44 traffic stopping and very messy job to get gas to my house) , I am hopeful by mid next year that they will have there own nice space ..... and all because I want the time to walk them rather than messing about with coal ,

I actually can't believe I've done it for two dogs , It was always going to happen as I got older , maybe in another 15 years , but to suddenly make that decision , that I would rather have the time to walk my Girls than mess about with other stuff like humping coal means every single walk will be even more special.

Carla has been amazing at skipping though , I can really see what the comment earlier in her posts was about ,

I only have to say to her ...

" You are such a pretty girl " and she dances and skips , she's amazing :-)

As for Carrie , Ill post that on Carries page ....

Hi Jeff wouldn't worry to much our two will have the shakes from time to time, I believe I am right in saying greys don't like sitting, uncomfortable. They like their own beds and lying down, and she didn't fancy the grass or whatever. I know at times I have crossed my legs and the one leg that as crossed over the other as started involuntary shaking due to resting on a muscle. So maybe she was just standing awkward.
I know from time time Michelle and I will notice something with Blade or Bertie that appears odd or we haven't noticed before and we can go into realms of all sort doom. Sometimes I think we think to much.

Can anyone answer this ? Just Gave the girls diner and such a warm sunny afternoon I sat outside for a few mins , when they had finished eating , they both came out but Carlas back legs were shaking uncontrollably normal or what ? I was petting them both at the time and was telling them how much I love them both but Carlas back legs were shaking , she's on my bed now and absolutely fine but why was she shaky ?

So , the general rule of the day on my days off seems to be , I wake at about 6am , the Girls have breakfast and a wee ,

I go back to bed until about 9.30 when I get woken by two Greyhounds who want a walk and a poo , then we come back from the walk and they take over my bed , we love routine in this house , Carla lost her house collar AGAIN , this afternoon , how it ended up on the bedside cabinet after I had looked everywhere is anyones guess ,

Im really not looking forward to the next few weeks and I hope it rains constantly so no-one can light fireworks Carla is so jumpy and nervous at noises she even gets scared on walks, if i move suddenly , but she is so amazingly lovely , and that little skip she does when she is happy ,which has been mentioned before is so cute ...

aww as ever with my dogs everything they do makes me cry , my house looks like a bomb site ,but I wouldn't and indeed couldn't be without them

Ha ha ha.....I met someone the other day & she said 'You've got TWO dogs, haven't you??'
'No, I've got two Greyhounds' was my instant reply (I truly didn't even think about it!)
'Well, they're dogs, aren't they?' she asked looking rather confused
'Well....eerrrmmm.....yes.....I suppose so' I replied rather grudgingly :-) Really did make me smile when I thought about it!

Ha ha very true , I don't own dogs , as Im fortunate enough to know two Greyhounds who allow me to share there life with them.......sometimes

I know just what you mean Jeff, took our two to have there nails done this week and meet my sister in law, who said something about dogs had to correct her they aren't dog they are Greyhounds she didn't get so cant be a hound person. Xxx

Why is it so difficult to explain to anyone why greyhounds are such different dogs to every other dog breed, when you know in your head that they are ?

Jeff , sounds very like ours we can open their room to outside, which is great cos when we all out our nieghbour lets them out and we can lock the inside door. Again i would say consider a glazed door of some kind( between the house and them) the difference since we swapped is huge- we all know how nosey greys are! or it could be they dont feel so closed in. Xxx

Thanks NMD07 , thats what I was looking for ,

there is a little bit of method in my madness as Carla is a tad chewy and has gone through amongst several things which include carpets and my bed , some electrical cable which luckily was off , well it was the vacuum cable and then an extension cable .

The idea is to make a safe warm comfortable space for them which is not too distant from the feel of the house and introduce them to it very slowly , Carlas destructive habits seem absolutely random but seems to happen at about one episode per week , despite my best efforts with diet and leaving treat balls and toys and walking her for much longer and on different routes ,it seems good for a few days then I come home to an upside down house , Ive never had a dog that's chewed before , so any advice on that will be welcome , I'd like to get to the route cause and stop it to be honest

Now...that's what l like to see...an owner with their priorities right!!! Lets hope your girls cant read...giving them ideas like that!!! Or can they ?????? Maybe l should say this now....l hope you enjoy your new bedroom...woof...woof !!!

Our Two have a utility room with one of their beds in which they are shut in when we are out for any length of time. It has loads of pillows and two large beds so they can sleep apart or together, stand with two bowls of water, and their toyboxes in so they can find something to do.We have just changed the door from a solid one to one with glass panels so they can see into the house and they seem to like it better!! Xxx

Thanks for the responses , the room is integral to the house and opens to the garden , so during the summer it would mean being able to leave the door open just to that room rather than the whole house , Im converting it anyway into a small useable living space for all three of us just because its there and isn't going to cost that much , if they like it then all well and good and if they don't then they can have my bedroom and Ill go in it instead LOL ...

Hi Jeff, we converted the garage into a doggie den for 3 greys. They have access from the lounge to a space of approx. 8ft by 10 ft, filled by enormous dog beds and space to toilet on if necessary. During the day this area is open to them along with the lounge and kitchen. At night they all (including newby Duggie) trot off quite happily to bed and they are shut in. If we go out for long periods in the day we will shut them in their den to avoid toileting accidents in the lounge. When it was first done the dogs just needed a bit of gentle encouragement to go in and we spent time in there with them but they soon got used to it and now will use it from choice at any time.

Hi Jeff. Just another thought...if the room is 12ft x 9ft....how much coal do you use??? lol. Personally, if you can afford to convert the room into a usable space, then you may as well do it....it can only add value to your property!!! As you are talking about adding a radiator, then l would assume the room is integral to the house...if that's the case...then maybe just try the girls with a couple of ordinary loose dog beds to start with, to see if it meets with their approval.l'm a great believer in the saying...if it ain't broke...then don't try and fix it. By trying to confine them too much, and changing what they are used to, you may create problems that don't currently exist. Good luck with the work!!!
l'm sure Carla & Carrie will tell you where they want to be. X.

Hi Jeff. Our dogs have the freedom of the downstairs of our house, ie: living room, kitchen/dining room, when we are at home or we are out.The stairs & upstairs are out of bounds at all times.Where do you leave them at present, and are they happy being left there and not causing any problems? l think one of the joys for greys, after living in kennels, is to have more freedom to move about and not be confined to a small space any more. ls the room an integral part of the house...or is it separate...accessed via the garden? If it's the latter, then personally, l would say no, because you would be creating a kennel environment and separating them from the space and smells that they associate with you, ie, their comfort zone. If the room is part of the house, maybe running off the kitchen etc, lt may be o.k, lf only to act as a safe place for them if they are worried by noises, such as firework or thunder. However, if you do decide to have the room converted, l would let the girls decide by leaving the door open to see if they are happy to adopt it as their own space. If they don't take to it, you could always find another use for it. But l would be careful that you don't force changes on them...you don't want to break the trust and the bond that they have formed with you. Hope this may help. Luv to them both.XXX

Where does everyone keep there dogs whilst they are out ?

Its just Im thinking of converting the room I used to keep the coal in , into a dog room the room is about twice the size of the kennels in daybreaks about 12ft x 9 ft and whist Im having my central heating fitted I'm going to put a radiator in that room and get it fitted out with a false ceiling , etc etc like a large utility room without the utilities ,the dogs will be in there for no more than 4-5 hours at a time until my neighbour comes in and then about 4 hours before I get home , I intend to kit it out with some raised dog beds , just like the ones in the kennels , new safety glass window and introduce them to it slowly and make it exciting to go in there , maybe a few afternoon naps in there with them on a couple of afternoons and using it as a living space for a while so they get used to it, they of course will still be in the house whenever Im home ..... thoughts please ? Its going to be the opinions of everyone on here as to wether I do it or not .

Ahh , now I understand the meaning of life ..
http://www.grassmere-animal-hospital.com/greyhound_humor.htm

Hi Jeff, if you want to add some moist food in with Burns you could try Nature Diet. It comes in several flavours and our greys love it. we now order it in bulk on line.

I've had a few issues and a few bad days with Carla , chewing things over the past few weeks when I was out , initially I thought she was getting stressed during storms , but it would seem over the past few days that it maybe the tinned food ( thanks again for the advice Ruth, sorry I caught you on Holiday) Ive been adding into her Burns food as everything is nice and calm again now Ive stopped adding in the tinned stuff .

This is going to sound absolutely stupid and crazy but Im now changing my heating at home from solid fuel to gas with a huge 5 figure cost and Im actually getting a loan to do it with the main driver behind my motivation is so I have the time the walk the girls before I go to work on an early shift at 6am in the winter, I so love walking them before I go to work , after the initial Hong Kong Phooey chop from Carrie ,once the leads are on , its just the best thing in the world and well worth a 5 figure sum.

Its taken Carla 2 months to realise that I actually don't mind if she sleeps on my bed during the day ,thats what washing machines were invented for ...

I couldn't believe it this morning when I spoke to Carrie on my bed and it was Carla , I really never expected that moment but it was very welcome

Great to hear how well Carla is doing. X

Hi Jeff, lovely to hear you, Carla and Carrie are having great fun together. I've played the Gotcha game too! Hope you have a good holiday from work, enjoy the extra time with your beautiful girls. Xxx

Carla is becoming very playful and seems to have a five minute moment of greyhound madness with Carrie everyday , Ive never seen Carrie play before and it was a bit strange to start with but the best thing is....

I've never played
"Gona getcha .... Gotcha " with a greyhound before , nothing too energetic of course , just me crawling my hand up the stairs like a spider and grabbing her paws or nose , she's definitely remembered how to bark . Im on holiday from work now for 2 weeks so I will be bringing them both over to the Daybreaks "Retired Greyhound Hotel"

A few minutes ago Carrie and Carla started to play and both were doing that playful growl thing that they do and running round the house , I just sat there on the floor kept quiet and watched and when they had finished , I realised that my mouth was just wide open in awe

So, I just got out of the shower this morning and decided to pick up the fluffy insides of the toy Carla had chewed and for some reason they both thought that was a signal to go greyhound crazy , Never seen them play together before and boy do they play , in the end I had to shut them out of the bedroom and when I came out I said " I never want you to do that in the house again " , ( but between us ,on here , I do )

We've just got back home form the Malvern GBGW , met some lovely people , lovely dogs and got a great picture of the three of us at the top of the Malverns .The girls are knackered and so am I , Its definately Pimms O'clock now !!

Ah , I was going to do a lengthy post on Carla , but decided to lie on the quilts with " Mummy " Carla and the " Mad whippet " Carrie ( who is looking fantastic by the way) instead ,

I really understand that Car sticker I got though the post with the RGT magazine " Keep Calm and adopt a Retired Greyhound "..

Some moments are priceless.

http://greatbritishgreyhoundwalk.org.uk/walks/malvern-hills-beacon-walk-2014/

Jeff can you let me know where it is and I will try and get there. Thanx.

Malvern greyhound walk next sunday and we're going ,

the Girls met 2 greyhounds this morning , Carla had spotted them before I did , it seems she can tell a greyhound bark apart from a "normal" dogs bark at about 1/2 mile.,

"Caro" you did say you were interested in hearing about local walks , be nice if you could come and meet , Im happy to email jeff@theoldbridgehouse.wanadoo.co.uk

Hi Jeff. Yes often sat on the floor with our first grey, tia and am doing so again with Milly who has only been with us a couple of weeks. tia used to lie with her head on my lap and Milly likes to roll over so I can tickle her tummy!

Hi Jeff. I often sit on the floor with our dogs. Daisy the Labrador really likes to snuggle up that way and Surprise the grey loves to lay her head on a lap. It's just lovely watching them xx

Hi jeff no your not alone lying on the floor tinker dad Steve is always on the floor it's great to watch she try's to lie on his back like Carla she wags her tail so fast she also lyes on the sofa with her head on his xxx

Ive never seen a dog so wide eyed and confused as when I offered Carla a Beef bone earlier this evening , it was like she was saying " is this for me ?....really ??"

I've just laid on the landing floor with her for a few mins and all she did was wag her tail so fast it was like a fan.... anyone else just lie on the floor with their dogs or is it just me ?

Oh Jeff it sounds like both your girls are doing great. So pleased for you all. Carla sounds a right character and Carrie sounds like great fun!

Like the comment about guard dog. My Buzz bless him was the ultimate guard dog seriously he barked at everything. After we lost him we were broken into and the other 2 didnt bark or anything. Glad to see ghe girls are doing well. X

I keep forgetting to write an update on Carla , simply because its like she's always been here , she's so affectionate and has just a little bit of awareness about whats going on outside the house ( don't laugh at the next comment) but a bit like a guard dog !
She really has no "warts" so to speak and that itself lends itself to a very special character in a 7 year old Lady who has settled so well and she is just that, nothing less than a proper polite Lady ..

OK a proper polite Lady who loves trying to get in open doors , and shops , loves watching whats going on in Garages and workshops when we walk through town and a Proper Polite Lady who , with her Crazy mad best friend has to say Hello when we see other people and Carla and Carrie are really a lovely double act when we are out

... but a Proper Polite Lady all the same .

Jeff that's fantastic she must take after her sister Norah for liking her food well done Carla xxx

Lovely addition to the end of Carla's name. Xxx

I think the hardest thing Ive ever done is not to acknowledge Carla and Carrie lying together on the same quilt and just let them be.

Oh Jeff, how lovely with the girls name tags.
Seems like you are enjoying things, but Teddy will not be too far from your thoughts I'm sure.
Love to you and the girls, Sylv and love from The New Icemaid Clan also. xxxxxxx

Carla weighed in at 24.4 kg this morning , Ive just looked at her Notes and she was 23.7kg on 23/05/14 , Rather than driving to the vets the three of us had a walk through town today so lots of distractions and noises and Carla was great.

Ive ordered a new dog name tag and , just as I did with Carrie (when I added Eden which means paradise and was related to Eves name) , Im adding something to her name tag, it seems to fit with what I said about your dogs always coming back and So Carlas name tag will read Carla Adora ( Adora meaning "Gift" ).

Ive loved every dog thats chosen to be with me , in whatever combination thats been , but I have to say, already , this duo is exceptional.

Thanks again everyone ,

Owning two greyhounds is defiantly the new black , they just love to do everything together , Carla had her first toy experience with me tonight and it was awesome to see her

I love the support from everyone on here , advice and just general Greyhound interaction but Im just watching my girls sleeping and read the story of Lula Belle , I'd rather go through the pain myself of loosing a dog than the thought of whats happened with Lula Belle ,its so upsetting and my thoughts are with her and her family , someone please find her a home this weekend.... Im not going to put anything else up on Carries or Carlas page for the next few days as I think it would be wrong of me to do so when such a pretty girl needs such another good home , I think its every dog lovers worst nightmare , I took on a skye terrier Ollie ,before Teddy who's owner had died and he was only with me for 11 months before he died and I would do it again , even if I knew before I took him on how short a time we would have had together...

So there would be no question about me doing the same thing for a greyhound , if I could

Weight Clinic on Monday , so Ill be back then , Hopefully having heard some nice news for Lula Belle

Jeff. My 2 love their food. They refuse to go out in the morning until they have their breakfast. Cornflakes or weetabix. Tomorrow they will have to have weetaflakes just for a change!!!! They still have their dinners and treats.x

That's a lovely way to interpret "Recall" Jeff...So pleased your girls were ok while you were at work and to hear Carla's appetite is improving. Xxx

I had an important lesson in why its crucial to teach your dog " Recall" today ,
I came back from the vets with Teddys' ashes and after showing them to Carrie and Carla , I put them next to Eves , when I came out of the room , Carla was there and just wagging her tail and looking so happy , I just looked at her and I thought , "they always come back , don't they" , maybe in the Spirit of another very different dog , with a very different character , but if you love them , they always come back.....
Thats why you teach your dog recall and love it so much , so it will " always" come back.... no matter what.

Carlas lovely...

Ive been a little worried today as it was my first day back at work and I came back to .....

the house just as I had left it ,minus the two peanut butter sandwiches Id left for my neighbour to give them , two Happy greyhounds one more happy to see her food (Ill let you guess which that one was) and one who was more Happy to see me but Carla did eat much more tonight than she has before in one meal.

Jeff things will be fine on the eating side with the girls, you are fine, As humans we all eat differently.
Pleased all is fine with the girls.
Love The New Icemaid Clan xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi Jeff i know Carla loves a sardine sandwich on wholemeal bread :)

So pleased to hear that Carla is settling in so well. As blueangel said, we will all look forward to your posts as to how things are progressing and what your girls are getting up to.

Carla was absoulutely lovely when Carrie came back from the vets today , she was so happy to see us and we weren't gone that long , She's not a great eater but she seems to like the Puppy food more and has eaten a lot more today , Im paranoid now but like I mentioned on Carries page its a weekly visit to the free weight clinic at my local vets for the next few weeks for both of them.

Oh great will look forward to seeing them again and look forward to your posts.

So , I was literally in the middle of sending an email to Kate and Carla barked her first bark , I think she was saying Hello and thanks to Kate x , Carla and Carrie are really easy to walk together much easier than Carrie and Teddy to be honest, one hand both leads and very friendly with people that we meet , they just look so lovely together , Im really so glad I got her ,and although Carla is a couple of years older than Carrie, and a lot calmer , even though Carrie seems to have calmed down in the past couple of days a lot she really still is as mad as they come , Im actually wishing the next 7 weeks away so I can get the time to bring them both back to say hello and hopefully show you what I know I can do , Ive given up on the idea of a tidy house now , Quilts everywhere and realised today when I went to feed the 4 chickens I have that I am surrounded by girls , 6 in total , Carla hasn't met the chickens yet but Im saving that experience for another day ,
Im think the support you've all given has been amazing , thanks , and Im probably going to post daily for the time being

It was nice to meet you yesterday Jeff and Carrie.I think Carla and Carrie were made for each other and don,t worry to much there both be fat before you know it :)

Hi jeff glad things are working out for you sorry about teddy but you will always keep him in your heart glad things are good with carrie and Carla they were ment to be together they look great when we first had our tinker we did the same wasant sure how much food to give her to but Ruth and Kate got it sorted for us don't worry about what people think they all understand you are brave to admit it please don't put your self through it keep your chin up pleasr don't cry our thoughts are with you and we are sending our love to you carrie and Carla tinker's nan and tinker xxxxx

OK , no one tell me to put them back on... but muzzles have been off almost since we came home yesterday and Carla took hers off on her own , I used them for the walk and will continue to do so for a while but these two have been eating treats and not even bothered about each other even though they were rubbing faces together and not even worried about who got a treat first , Ive been out of the house for a short period twice now and they are both lovely together , I hadn't even considered another girl so I only got to reading Carlas page today , Im so sorry for the people that couldn't take her due to personal issues and feisty Monty I fully understand that because Teddy was a bit feisty with Carrie to start with ,I can't even begin to think of that now , and i really wonder that she may be a bit confused but trust me she's here to stay and hopefully with the right advice now ( and some more dinner), both Carla and Carrie , will be happy together and fat ( ish) Carla is so lovely and calm , she seems to have calmed Carrie down as well.. yeah Im in bits and crying but don't worry about that ...I know what I need to do

Hi Jeff, it's a great idea to get involved in walks with other Greyhounds and their owners. So nice to be able to meet other people who love to talk about their dogs! So pleased to hear Carla is enjoying being with you both. Xxx

Hello Jeff I would be interested in the Bromyard walks as I live just the other side of Leominster, if you get any more information could you please post it on the site.

Who's page to post on ? Just got back from the first walk with Carla and Carrie and they look great and are Great together , We walked past the community Hospital and an Ambulance driver stopped to ask if I was Local , it turns out he organises small events, walks etc for people in Bromyard who have Greyhounds including access to a secure run at the Local Equestrian centre .

Hi Jeff, So pleased things are o.k. at this time with Carla & Carrie. When I had may first g/hound I was so strongly told do not let it put on weight , but now after 7 they all eat differently, at the moment I have a pig who will steal any food left. We all learn , but you'r a lovely caring man. Love Sylv &The New Icemaid Clan xxx

Carla is lovely ,she is such a perfect companion for Carrie and I had never considered having two girls Im still feeling pretty gutted about Carrie being so skinny and me not even realising and Carlas name Means strong and manly , that'll do , one of them needs to be a man about the house , I can't wait to hear her bark , Like I said not the day I expected but so glad I came , maybe I should just come back a bit more often just to say hello , definitely bringing both of them back in 7 weeks when Im on holiday

Ah, well done Carla, you are so pretty. Jeff your dream was right - it was still a black greyhound!! Liam will have his forever home soon x

Carla looked very happy wagging her tail as she went good luck Jeff

Hi Jeff, it was lovely to see you and Carrie today. She really is such a sweet little girl. I hope it won't be long before she starts to put on that extra weight she needs. Carla clearly adored you and Carrie...will look forward to reading regular updates on what they both get up to! Hope all goes well with them. Kate Xxx

We got home OK and Carla has been fine , not the type of day I expected or the dog , but to be honest she's lovely and seems very settled already with Carrie and the environment , Ill post bit more when I get over the shock of Carrie being so thin today , hopefully the Burns dog food and a bit more of it is going to sort that out thanks for the advice and support today , Ruth and Kate as ever you were brilliant and I can't wait to come back in July and show you my two Perfect weight Girls

Good luck Carla be happy with love from your sister Norah xxx

Lovely little Carla has touched our hearts, she is such a friendly, affectionate little soul with lots of love to give. Out on her walks she looks up at you and gives a little skip along when you tell her what an adorable little girl she is. She is also a good listener and didn't mind once when I sat with her in the kennel and sang along to the music being played over the speakers - everyone else thinks I am tone deaf!! ( Yes the dogs do listen to classical music!!) So little Carla, do what you do best with your gorgeous face and practice that take me home expression that we did today and your sofa will be along soon.XX

Carla I just love your new photo - that expression on your face is priceless!! Big cuddles for a beautiful little girl. xx

Carla is such a little sweetheart i just love her xxx

Oh Carla, that's such a shame. Keep smiling though, you are such a gorgeous little girlie I'm sure you won't be back with us for very long. xx

:( xxx ah that's sad news, lovely little girl :(

Sadly Carla has been returned today. Monty had been getting very snappy with her and although the family thought this was something they could have worked on, unfortunately due to a health problem with a family member which will mean numerous visits to the hospital they felt they would be unable to cope with extra pressure at this time. They wanted people to know Carla is a very special girl and did absolutely nothing wrong and hope someone will give her a special forever home very soon. Xxx

Why? poor Carla xxx

Is Carla Back? X

Has Carla been returned?

So pleased to hear Carla is doing well and delighted to hear her appetite has returned! She is such a sweet little girl. Xxx

So far: walks ... Fantastic with Monty.
Play: one slight altercation with Monty .. He is excitable, we will see. Xx
Food: ravenous and eating we'll. Really well!!!
Sleep: yes! But on carpet .. Will not use her bed.
Do we love her? YES, YES and YES she loves dad!
We are hoping goes well from now on.
B. Xxx

Be happy Carla xxx

Have a happy life my pretty little Carla. xxx

Congratulations to carla's new family.we knew you would get your forever home very soon as you are a little gem.have a beautiful life sweet girl. Den sends a big poochie kiss xxx

Well done lill Carla!! Have a great retirement and call sofa when you get hone! Was a pleasure looking after you for those 4 days we had you. From everyone at scryland towers... good luck we lurrrve you!! xxx

Carla, your sofa has arrived and you deserve it. Lovely phot. Love to your new family The New Icemaid Clan xxxx also love to Monty.

Home check went very well, your new mom and dad are coming to get you Saturday, so be patient, only 2 sleeps to go. Monty will make a great brother and you will have a fab time and lots of fab holidays. xxxx

Saturday little one! We will welcome you and look after you to the best of our ability, time for a rest, peace and love as Monty's sister, praying all will go well. Xxx

Good luck lil carla.you are a dream.so glad you may of found your forever home.we do miss you at scryland towers and den misses you too xxx

Hope all goes well with the home check....Xxx

Home visit tomorrow Carla! Nervousness beyond belief and hoping you settle well, we will do our best little one. Xx

ooh Carla. Doing your home check tomorrow... You be a good girl, not long now as im sure all will be ok. x

So happy to see a maturer grey going to her forever home! I'm sure Monty will show her the ropes (if he's anything like my little rescue terrier cross who's shadow is a big black g-hound called Joe) Good luck to all the family and of course to Carla Xx

Well done Carla! Xxx

Great news! x

Getting all your things ready little one, welcome you soon all being well with home check. Monty is really lovely and lived with a bull mastiff before we rescued him, his doggy friend died and we think he really needs a doggy friend. Xxxx

Well done Carla, delighted for you. All the very best. xx

So pleased for lovely Carla. After her racing career and two litters of pups, she definitely deserves to put her paws up and enjoy her retirement !!Hope everything goes well for this little girl. Good luck sweetheart. XXXXXX

Carla has been reserved today and is going to be living with a lovely little Jack Russell brother called Monty.
She was perfectly behaved on first introductions and was lapping up the fuss from 'dad'. Well done Carla for being such a good girl! xx

Carla such lovely news. "RESERVED"
Love The New Icemaid Clan xxxxxx

Happy Birthday Carla....hope this weekend your Birthday present will be a new home! Xxx

Happy birthday Carla! Hope you had a lovely day and lots of treats, cuddles and kisses. Sending mine electronically xxx

Happy Birthday sweetie! Hope you've had a lovely day. x

happy birthday Carla xx

Hi Carla, you just have to get my cuddle today sweetie pie, what with it being your 7th birthday. Wishing you a lovely day and I hope you get lots of fuss at Daybreaks. Tash x

Happy birthday Carla. Xx

Happy birthday Carla, hope you have a lovely day! From Dave, Michelle, Nicole and big Den xxx

Happy birthday Carla from The New Icemaid Clanxxxxxxxx
bet you get loads of treats today.

Happy Birthday. Love Gemma, Stanley & Humans.

Happy birthday Carla from me and your sister see you later to give you a nice treat xxx

walked you today carla. what a sweet, loving girl you are. sure you will be snapped up soon. xx

This little girl is adorable and she was good with the cats today clever girl And she met her long lost sister Norah and they love each other if only xxx

Carla gets our cuddle today!! What a brilliant house guest you were, we sll miss you at scryland towers... xxx

Got to agree with dave.will be sad to take our lil'carla back tomorrow.if circumstances were different i could quite easy keep her.someone is going to be very lucky to have this little bundle of happiness.she is a treasure x

Our last full day with Carla, be sad to see her go as shes sucha friendly little soul but im sure she'll make some a fantastic addition to her forever home. Another accident free night, breakfast and meds taken with no problem! Always greets you with a wag of the tail and a smile on her face. She's very playful now and its funny how she tries to roach but cant stay on her back and rolls completely over! We'll miss her at scryland towers.

Another good night for Carla! Slept downstairs and ate her breakfast and took her meds. Shes definitely on the mend as shes so upbeat now, seems very bouncy when she's on her walks and I think sometimes she wants to play!! Plus no wee's during the night... another plus for Carla!

Carla is a little cutie. Den is being a gentleman here at scryland towersand letting her get better. She does like dentistix however so den is having to share his favourite treats but he is all cool with it and doesn't mind at all. Her scar is healing nicely and then she tried to jump up on to the worktop to have a nosey so we were a bit worried but no damage done.phew :-)

Well things are going very well here at scryland towers, Carla had a great nights sleep and ate her breakfast this morning and has not been sick at all, have given her her meds with no problem at all. Took her on a small walk round the block with Den, both walked well together. She always greets you with a wag of the tail. Not too keen on laminate flooring though so we've laid down bits of carpet and Den's beds!!

How fab that Carla is going to recuperate in the home of Den. He was the first dog we met when we started volunteering at Daybreaks last autumn and he's such a gent. The perfect 'get well' partner and big brother for this lovely little girl.

Little Carla could'nt wish for a better place to rest & recuperate than with Dave & Michelle...and of course everyones hunka - hunka luvin...the gorgeous Den !!! Enjoy your stay little girl.XXX

We're really looking forward to meeting carla later and hoping she enjoys herself at scryland towers! She will be much fussed and loved here and im sure Den will be a gentleman and take good care of her for a few days recuperation x

What a sweetheart. She is just beautiful. X

Carla has had a great night! No sick (yay!) and I managed to get her to eat some chicken and a handful of food late last night. She has been clean and quiet all night and has just run outside to have a big wee! She is so much happier and was really wagging her tail like mad when I let her out of the crate this morning. She is beautiful and makes you smile x She seems an independent little soul as I am in the 'dog room' and she has taken herself off into the lounge!

Poor little girl, hope she will be feeling better soon. Xxx

OH Carla i just love the black ones but you have stolen my heart if i could have two greyhounds it would be you i thought Albert was the one but you really have done something to me may be its because my Bensons grandad is your grandad as well i will be watching you daily

Get better soon sweet Carla xxx

Hope you feel better soon Carla xx

I have spent the day popping in and out to check on Carla at our house - sadly each time she had been sick.... however literally by about 5pm she seemed to turn a corner - no more sick and has eaten a handful of chicken! She is curled up on the lounge floor - has not been bothered by our chickens and is so sweet........... I have a foster home lined up for her from tomorrow for a few days so she can recover fully and I am sure she will be snapped up very soon.

Hope Carla feels better soon. She sounds adorable xx

Oh dear Carla, that's miserable for you - hope you feel better soon sweetheart. xx

Hi Carla, you just have to get my cuddle today. I do hope you are feeling much better very soon little one. Tx

So sorry you are not feeling great Carla. Hope you will feel better by tonight. You look a lovely little girl. See you at the kennels next week if you haven't been homed by then. Xx

Poor little Carla... she was sick twice yesterday evening and already this morning I have been up with her and she has been sick 3 times. She is not going to be back at the kennels until she starts to eat and stops being sick. She is the sweetest little thing - so small and gentle and even wags her tail slightly after she has been sick.... bless her.... Best get the washing on!

I spoke to her trainer yesterday - she had a litter of pups last June so they are not a year old yet but on greyhound data there is offspring in Jan 2011 also so it seems she has had two litters.... bless her..... x She really deserves retirement.....

Carla looks lovely so much like our Flagfield Lady aged 11 you can tell she is a Honcho, it must be in the DNA so placid and a lovely nature tempted but two are just enough.

Carla you are Norah half sister sharing the same dad xxx

This girl looks so sweet xxx

Hello Carla. You look a very sweet girl. Looking forward to meeting you. Hope you not feeling too bad after your visit to the vet. Xx

Carla, you look very sweet and pretty. Looking forward to meeting you. x

This little one is being dropped off at the vets by her trainer and I will pick her up later following her spey. She will stop at ours until she is back on her feet so watch this space later for her photo! x